Re: Funding affects breast cancer drug trial results/ Ruth

[Guest guest]

I understand the difference between absolute and relative, but can

you point me to the detail on DFS of 5.7%? Over what time period?

For people with metastatic disease? I may be having a heart attack

(not really).

> >

> > Industry-funded clinical trials of breast cancer medicines

report more

> > favorable results than research conducted independently, a new

study

> > reports. Some 84 percent of company-supported drug studies

published in

> > 10 major medical journals in 2003 reported positive results

about the

> > breast cancer drugs they investigated, according to an analysis

by Dr.

> > Peppercorn, a cancer physician and researcher at

University of

> > North Carolina-Chapel Hill's School of Medicine.

> > Non-industry supported studies were far less likely to be upbeat,

> > publishing favorable results just 54 percent of the time. The

> analysis is

> > to be published online next Monday in CANCER, the journal of the

> American

> > Cancer Society. It is the latest to raise questions about the

role

> > pharmaceutical companies play in funding and shaping research

used to

> > decide whether drugs are safe and effective.

> > But the connection between positive drug studies and industry

> funding has

> > raised concerns in recent years as the industry's role has

grown. A

> > Harvard School of Public Health paper published in 2005

estimated that

> > drug companies finance up to 70 percent of all clinical trials

done in

> > the United States.

> > Drug companies invested $15.5 billion in clinical trials during

2006,

> > according to the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of

America,

> > the industry's lobby and advocacy group. " The pharmaceutical

industry is

> > not only a major player, it is the major player, " said

Peppercorn. " We

> > need to pay attention to this because we need to know if

important

> > questions are not being asked. "

> > Peppercorn said drug companies may be less inclined to publish

when

> > studies are negative. Or it could be that pharmaceutical

companies are

> > " flat out better " at identifying medicines most likely to perform

> well in

> > clinical trials.

> > A new national clinical trials registry, administered by the

federal

> > government, will track results from all registered trials,

published or

> > not. That data will eventually make it easier to know whether

> > industry-backed trials actually produce better results, or

whether drug

> > companies are burying their bad results by not publishing.

> > Herceptin, the only U.S.-approved treatment for a certain type of

> > aggressive breast cancer, was developed primarily through

research paid

> > for by its manufacturer, Genentech. GlaxoKline, which is

> seeking FDA

> > approval for Tykerb, an experimental drug that targets the same

> > aggressive form of breast cancer, also has invested heavily in

trials.

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

The studies were done to see if Herceptin could be of benefit for

early stage BC. I'm sorry, , the stats I quoted were for early

stage. I was given the NEMJ article by an oncologist, I saw, who

advised Herceptin as I am Her2+. I know there were studies done on

Herceptin for metastatic BC, at a proir date, but I don't have the

article or statistics for those.

Ruth

PS At the point the studies were published they had gone on 3 years.

PPS Funny you should mention heart attack, possible congestive heart

failure, as well as the absolute statistics, were the reason I refused

adjuvant therapy. Already have tooooooo much of that (congestive

heart failure) going on in the family!

> > >

> > > Industry-funded clinical trials of breast cancer medicines

> report more

> > > favorable results than research conducted independently, a new

> study

> > > reports. Some 84 percent of company-supported drug studies

> published in

> > > 10 major medical journals in 2003 reported positive results

> about the

> > > breast cancer drugs they investigated, according to an analysis

> by Dr.

> > > Peppercorn, a cancer physician and researcher at

> University of

> > > North Carolina-Chapel Hill's School of Medicine.

> > > Non-industry supported studies were far less likely to be upbeat,

> > > publishing favorable results just 54 percent of the time. The

> > analysis is

> > > to be published online next Monday in CANCER, the journal of the

> > American

> > > Cancer Society. It is the latest to raise questions about the

> role

> > > pharmaceutical companies play in funding and shaping research

> used to

> > > decide whether drugs are safe and effective.

> > > But the connection between positive drug studies and industry

> > funding has

> > > raised concerns in recent years as the industry's role has

> grown. A

> > > Harvard School of Public Health paper published in 2005

> estimated that

> > > drug companies finance up to 70 percent of all clinical trials

> done in

> > > the United States.

> > > Drug companies invested $15.5 billion in clinical trials during

> 2006,

> > > according to the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of

> America,

> > > the industry's lobby and advocacy group. " The pharmaceutical

> industry is

> > > not only a major player, it is the major player, " said

> Peppercorn. " We

> > > need to pay attention to this because we need to know if

> important

> > > questions are not being asked. "

> > > Peppercorn said drug companies may be less inclined to publish

> when

> > > studies are negative. Or it could be that pharmaceutical

> companies are

> > > " flat out better " at identifying medicines most likely to perform

> > well in

> > > clinical trials.

> > > A new national clinical trials registry, administered by the

> federal

> > > government, will track results from all registered trials,

> published or

> > > not. That data will eventually make it easier to know whether

> > > industry-backed trials actually produce better results, or

> whether drug

> > > companies are burying their bad results by not publishing.

> > > Herceptin, the only U.S.-approved treatment for a certain type of

> > > aggressive breast cancer, was developed primarily through

> research paid

> > > for by its manufacturer, Genentech. GlaxoKline, which is

> > seeking FDA

> > > approval for Tykerb, an experimental drug that targets the same

> > > aggressive form of breast cancer, also has invested heavily in

> trials.

> > >

> > >